Quack-grass and weed eradicator.



P. B. CRANE. QUAOK GRASS AND WEED ERADIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-24. 1911.

Patented June 3, 1913.

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P. B. CRANE.

QUAGK GRASS AND WEED BRADICATOR.

ABPLIOATION FILED JAIL, 1911.

1,063,660, Patented June 3, 1913.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR WM, PETER B.CHANE. z..&.@-& WMM WL ATTORNEYS COLUMBIAPLANOGRAPH CO-. WASHINGTON. n. C

P. B. CRANE.

QUAOK GRASS AND WEED ERADICATOR.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1911.

' Patented June 3, 1913.

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INYENTOR PETER 5. CRANE.

I BY

WITNESSES 'WMV ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER B. CRANE, OF LONG LAKE, MINNESOTA.

QUACK-GRASS AND WEED ERADTCATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER B. CRANE, of Long Lake, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inQuack-Grass and Veed Eradicators, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine having tines adaptedto penetrate the soil and operating laterally therein to drag out thequack grass or weed roots, separate them from the earth and finallythrow the roots to one side on the surface of the ground.

A further object is to provide improved draft connections and improvedmeans for applying pressure to force the tines into the ground.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in wheels having a series of tineswhich are curved laterally with respect to the direction of movement ofthe machine.

Further the invention consists in a combined leaf spring and draw-bar.

Further -the invention consists in arranging the draft connections nearthe wheels with the curved tines.

Further the invention consists in improved connections for the outerdraft bars with the axles of the wheels.

Further the invention consists in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the same, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional Viewillustrating the manner of mounting the wheels on the axle, Fig. 4c is adetail view showing the manner of tilting the axles to set the wheels atvarying angles with respect to the draft line of the machine, Figs. 5and 6 are detail views of the boxes by means of which connection is madebetween the draft bars and the wheel axles.

In the drawing, 2 represents the pole of the machine, having a seat 3mounted on its rear end and 4t represents draw-bars secured at theirforward ends on the pole and extending backwardly therefrom and attachedby an improved construction to the axles of Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed January 24, 1911.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Serial No. 604,459.

the wheels. The axles are formed by rods 5, preferably square in crosssection, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. There are two of these rods, one oneach side of the center of the machine, each having a head 6 at one endand the opposite end threaded to receive a nut 7. The hubs 8 of thewheels have holes therethrough to receive the rod and are securelylocked thereon by the nut 7 As shown in Fig. 3, the hubs have longbearing surfaces on the rod and are of substantially the same length,except those at the outer end of the axle or rod where, as shown in Fig.3, the adjoining hubs are divided, each having, however, a sufficientbearing on the axle to hold them in place thereon.

In each hub I mount a series of curved tines 9, spaced apart a suitabledistance and outwardly curved, and having sharpened outer ends that areadapted to penetrate the soil and pull or drag out the grass roots asthe wheels revolve, the shape of the tines causing the roots to be movedlaterally and separated from the earth and finally thrown out on the topof the ground. The tines as shown in the drawings are curvedcontinuously from the points where they leave the hubs to the ends ofthe tines, their curve being gradual so that when the points enter theground in a direction at right angles substantially to the direction ofmovement of the machine, they will dislodge the grass roots which willfollow the gradual curve of the tine shanks upwardly out of the groundand be deposited on the surface. These tines preferably have flattenedends forming cutting edges operating in line substantially with thedirection of movement of the machine, and the shanks of the tines arecomparatively narrow and have curved or rounded faces or surfaces whichreceive the quack grass roots from the cutting edges and direct themupwardly on to the top of the ground. These narrow shanks operate as thetines of a fork to dislodge and sift the grass roots from the soilwithout throwing out any considerable portion of the soil itself. Thislateral dragging of the roots and the subsequent disposition of them maybe effected to a greater degree by oscillating the axles so that thewheels will travel at a greater angle to the draft line of the machine.This is indicated plainly in Fig. 4;. In other words, by swinging theaxles on the drag bars, the tines will be rendered more effective forstirring up and loosening the soil and tearing out the grass and weedroots.

The tines may be made of any suitable length and any desired number ofthem arranged around the hubs. The inner end of each axle is providedwith a bearing sleeve 10, a similar sleeve being provided at the outerend of the axle, and on the outer sleeves boxes are mounted consisting,preferably, of an upper section 11 and a lower section 12 securedtogether by bolts 13, said sections having a bearing 14 for the sleeve10, and a transverse slot 15 through which the bolts 16 pass and throughthe rearwardly turned ends of a bail 17 which is secured to the rear ofthe pole by a clevis 18. The bail has bearings on the forward portion ofthe boxes by means of plates 19 and bolts 20 which pass through saidplates and secure them to the boxes, guideways being formed between theupper sections 11 of the boxes and the plates 19 to allow the boxes tooscillate on the bail and accommodate themselves to the adjustment ofthe axles and wheels. The rear ends of the drag bars 4t are secured tothe bail 17 and a yoke 21 has its ends secured to the bail and the dragbars and carries an evener 22 having the usual swingle trees 23 at eachend. The yoke 21 is arranged close to the wheels and the draft istherefore applied much nearer to the work than usual in machines of thiskind. The bail 17, as shown plainly in Fig. 2, is preferably locatednear the drivers seat and the weight of the pole and the driver is transmitted through this bail to the boxes at the outer ends of the axles andtends to force the tined wheels into the soil, the application of theweight being positive and direct. The ends of the evener 22 haveflexible connec tions 24: with the ends of the bail to aid in turningthe machine. Boxes are provided at the inner ends of the axles, asindicated in Fig. 4E, and these boxes I will designate by referencenumeral 25 having pivots 26 for the rear ends of the leaf springdraw-bars 27 and guides 28 corresponding to those on the outer boxes,which permit the inner ends of the axles to oscillate horizontally onthe spring bars 27. The angle of the axles with respect to the directionof movement of the machine is controlled by these leaf dravbars, whichare operated by levers 29 pivoted on each side of the pole and havinglocking latches 30 to engage rack bars 31. By the movement of theselevers the axles and Wheels are swung back and forth in a horizontalplane to adjust the axles in line with one another or at the desiredangle with respect to the draft line.

For the purpose of forcing the inner ends of the axles and the wheelsdownwardly into the soil, I provide bell crank levers 82 also pivoted onthe pole and having antifriction wheels 33 which contact with the leafdraw-bars so that by the oscillation of these levers the tension ofthese bars can be increased or decreased to force the inner tined wheelsinto the soil or allow them to rise out of the soil. These levers areprovided with looking latches 3t and rack bars 35.

In the operation of this machine. the wheels are set at the desiredangle with respect to the draft line and the weight of the rider,supplemented by the weight of the pole, upon the bail 17 will force theouter wheels into the soil and the bail. will operate as a fulcrum, andthe forward portion of the pole will be raised, relieving the weight onthe neck yoke. The driver will then tlex the draw-bar springs by theoperation of their levers until the inner wheels are forced into thesoil a distance corresponding to the outer wheels and as the machinemoves along the tines will drag the grass roots laterally in the soil,separate them from the earth, and as the tines move out of the soil theroots will be thrown back upon the surface. The angle of the wheels withrespect to the direction of movement of the machine and the curvature ofthe tines will dig the soil and effectually remove therefrom all grassand weed roots which the ordinary disk wheel will not do.

I have shown the edge of the tines wedge or chisel-shaped, but they maybe pointed, or any other suitable form without departing from the spiritof my invention.

The tined wheel shown and described in this application forms thesubject matter of my divisional application filed. June 28th, 1912,Serial No. 706,397.

I claim as my invention 1. A machine of the class described comprising apair of axles arranged end to end, wheels mounted thereon, a draft poleabove the abutting ends of said axles, drag bars connecting said poleand axles, a transverse yoke having its ends secured to said drag barsnear said axles, and an evener centrally mounted on said yoke, wherebythe draft will be applied thereon near said wheels.

2. In a machine of the class described, axles and wheels mountedthereon, boxes carried by said axles, each box consisting of an upperand a lower section and bolts securing them together, drag barspivotally mounted on the rear bolts of said box and straps secured bythe forward bolts of said box and spaced from the upper portions thereofforming guide ways to receive said drag bars and permit horizontaloscillation of said axles and wheels.

3. A machine of the class described comprising axles, wheels mountedthereon, a draft pole connected with said axles, leaf spring drag barsconnected at their forwai'd ends to said pole and at their rear ends tosaid axles and means for applying pressure to said drag bars betweensaid ends to force said wheels into the soil.

4:. A machine of the class described comprising axles, wheels therefor,a draft pole, a seat thereon, drag bars connecting said pole with theouter portions of said axles, leaf spring drag bars connecting the innerportions of said axles with said pole, and levers mounted on said poleand having means for engaging the middle portions of said leaf springdrag bars for putting the same under tension and depressing the innerends of said axles.

5. A machine of the class described comprising axles placed end to end,wheels mounted thereon, a draft pole having a drivers seat, drag barsconnecting said pole with the outer portions of said axles, leaf springdrag bars attached to the inner portions of said axles, levers mountedon said pole and connected to the forward ends of said leaf spring dragbars for oscillating said axles in a horizontal plane, and means betweensaid levers and said axles for flexing said leaf spring drag bars todepress the inner ends of said axles and force the inner wheels into thesoil.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day ofJanuary, 1911.

PETER B. CRANE. Witnesses:

GENEVIEVE E. SoRnNsEN, EDWARD A. PAUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

